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OPINION

Government shutdown made clear a new deal is needed for America's public lands

Across the nation, volunteerism to protect our national parks and other public lands during the government shutdown was positively heroic. From the Everglades to Joshua Tree, park enthusiasts from all walks of life cleaned bathrooms and picked up trash to protect the places they love. These volunteers showed a determination and selflessness that is representative of America’s best ideals.

It is clear our national parks should be closed during government shutdowns to protect resources and visitor experience. The damage done during the shutdown was extensive: overflowing trash cans and toilets, wildlife poaching, illegal off-road vehicle incursions and the theft of cultural resources. Additionally, it is increasingly important that we address long-term funding for our national treasures.

Our public lands are closely linked to our nation’s heritage and culture. They have outstanding recreational opportunities, diverse ecosystems and stunning viewsheds. However, our land management agencies have been sorely underfunded for decades. The lack of funding and staff is impairing visitor experience, educational opportunities and the ability to protect these special places for future generations. Consider the shutdown as a painful acute injury like a broken arm, while chronic underfunding is a serious underlying condition like heart disease.

Nationwide, the National Park Service has a deferred maintenance backlog that tops $11 billion and is needed to repair roads and bridges, visitor centers, historic buildings, and trails and campgrounds. Chronic underfunding of our National Park System has gone on for years, while visitation has soared. From 2012 to 2017 visitation to our national parks increased by 50 million.

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Joshua Tree National Park was unattended by any park service personnel on Saturday December 22, 2018 as the budgetary shutdown of the federal government kicked in in California. In this photo, Los Angeles residents Gustavo and Shelly Huber set up camp with their daughter, Zia. The couple, who said they were married in Joshua Tree about six years ago, did first-come, first-serve camping with their Volkswagen van and a tent at Jumbo Rocks Campground. Omar Ornelas

A over stuffed restroom trash can at Joshua Tree National Park entrance on Friday, December 28, 2018. The government shutdown have left the park unstaffed while its gates remain open to visitors. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

The shuttered ticket booth at Joshua Tree National Park on Friday, December 28, 2018. Visitors continue to enter the park despite it being unstaffed due to the government shutdown. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Ranger Ameet Amir maintain the restrooms at Hidden Valley Campground at Joshua Tree National Park during partial government shutdown on Thursday, January 10, 2018. The park's status is in flux due to the partial government shutdown. Richard Lui/The Desert Sun

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, visits Joshua Tree National Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to survey the park and help clean trash left behind from campers as the partial government shutdown continues on Jan. 21, 2019. Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

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However, from 2011-2017, more than 2000 full-time-equivalent NPS employees were cut from the payrolls. This means fewer rangers to tell the story of our nation, protect sensitive species and archaeological sites, keep the public safe, and maintain facilities. This raises the question: will our kids and grandkids have the same experience at national parks in 10 to 15 years?

In the California desert, we worked with a diverse coalition to build support for the creation of three new California Desert Monuments that just celebrated their third birthday. Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains National Monuments contain spectacular vistas, important historic and Native American cultural sites, are ecologically diverse and offer incredible recreational opportunities. They are also critical wildlife corridors that link Mojave National Preserve to Joshua Tree National Park and the San Gorgonio Wilderness — improving the region’s resiliency to climate change. However, none of the monuments has a management plan, even though they, along with other protected lands, form the basis of a robust tourism-driven economy that attracts visitors from around the globe.

The gates of Joshua Tree National Park are open to visitor even as its tollbooths remain close due to the partial government shutdown on Thursday, January 10, 2018. The park's status is in flux due to the partial government shutdown. (Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

The government shutdown has shed light on how a lack of management can fundamentally harm our national parks and public lands. At the same time, the shutdown has also reinforced the personal connection that Americans have with these special places. While the damage that has occurred during the shutdown is very grave, those who care about our public lands should also focus on the issue of chronic underfunding. The bottom line is that we need to demand our elected officials ensure that long term damage does not occur to America’s national treasures.

April Sall(Photo: Scott Behrens)

April Sall is a board member of the Wildlands Conservancy and Director of the Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership. She can be reached at aprilsall1@gmail.com .